Erb, Alta Mae Eby (1891-1995)

Alta Mae Eby, b. 23 February 1891 to Abram and Salome Denlinger Eby, grew up at Kinzers (Lancaster County), PA. She obtained her final year of high school and her college education at Goshen College, graduating in 1912. From 1912 to 1940 she was on the staff of Hesston College. She taught mathematics and teacher education and was librarian from 1913 to 1928. In 1917 she married Paul Erb. They had two children: Winifred (Erb) Paul and Delbert.

From 1940 to 1945, she taught teacher education at Goshen College. In 1945 they moved to Scottdale, PA, where Paul served as editor of the <em>Gospel </em>Herald. Her activities at Scottdale were principally in the area of the nurture of children. She served extensively in Christian education workshops and from 1954-1958 was Home Life Editor of Christian<em>Living</em>magazine. Her book, The Christian Nurture of Children, was first published in 1944. A second edition followed in 1955. It sold a reported 12,000 copies. From 1944 to 1961 she wrote a weekly column on the Uniform Sunday School Lessons which appeared in the Gospel Herald.

Alta Mae Erb died in Scottdale, PA on 24 January 1995 at the age of 103. She is buried in the Scottdale cemetery.